It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a pet following a split is a terrible idea. Most will argue such arrangements prevent ex-partners from finding closure, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying for all parties. As it turns out, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to become depressed.
While respecting the mental health of our pets – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. For a standout portrayal in dog sorrow, consider a past film. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance around this situation works effectively seems rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than a light film. This is a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will presumably realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – as seen in flurries piled on verdant foliage as a summer location doubles as a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements come together into something enjoyable hinges on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who seek out for pet content. Audiences receive a series of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and while this leads to some awkward editing between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie delivers on canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success does not extend for the interpersonal drama. The tone shifts uneasily between emotional depth, zany antics, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, not quite landing any one mode. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. He brings a charming humility that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, especially when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in acting depressed – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, given that the title character is easily the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their separation might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting all its marks. Making a film with this canine conflict is not terrible – though I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video starting December 10.
